Before & After: A Kitchen Goes From Eek to Chic on a 10k Budget

When Chris and Julia moved into their home in 2011, one of the spaces that really needed major attention was the outdated, builder-grade kitchen, complete with almond-colored appliances, pink countertops, dingy cabinets and fluorescent lighting.

Although they were initially planning to tweak the layout, ultimately they decided to save money by keeping the floor plan and refurbishing the existing cabinets. They worked on the kitchen in phases, replacing appliances as they could afford it. In the first phase of the reno, they painted all the cabinets white. The second time around, they went bold with a deep navy and new hardware, which turned out to be a total game changer.

The addition of a few open shelves (and the subtraction of an upper cabinet) added tons of convenience. The sink, the touch faucet, backsplash, lighting, pantry door, roman shade and counters were all new additions in the past few months.

The total cost of the renovation (including appliances, marble backsplash and the gorgeous black walnut counters) came in just over $10,000. Well worth it for what feels like an entirely different kitchen.